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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752941">but being us feels good to us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mukelftv/pseuds/mukelftv'>mukelftv</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>5sos prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>5 Seconds of Summer (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chess, Hot Chocolate, M/M, Mild Language, Snow, Vacation, Winter, just some fluff, rated for language</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:56:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27752941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mukelftv/pseuds/mukelftv</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Checkmate.” </p><p>Calum grins at Michael from across the table, placing his knight in the right position.  Michael stares at the board in disbelief for a moment, studying every square, trying to see a move he could make that would result in him winning, or at least getting out of this particular check.  </p><p>But no, Calum was right. It was checkmate, damn him.</p><p>---</p><p>Or, where Michael and Calum play chess at a ski lodge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Clifford/Calum Hood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>5sos prompts [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>but being us feels good to us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/fueledbygaymen/gifts">fueledbygaymen</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello everyone i am BACK with a healthy dose of malum!!!! this came about because of <a href="https://64.media.tumblr.com/f3982c8abd45cc8f30db96de6bfb7dd2/83e453bd20f1ca05-c6/s540x810/f5bbee12742f40d9a18a5e831b2eb749fd63d263.jpg">this</a> photo that michael posted on instagram on thanksgiving bless his soul. thank you to <a href="http://glitterblazercalum.tumblr.com">iba</a> for looking this over for me, and to <a href="http://tigerteeff.tumblr.com">heath</a> for sending me it as a prompt so i had an excuse to write it.  enjoy!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Checkmate.” </p><p>Calum grins at Michael from across the table, placing his knight in the right position.  Michael stares at the board in disbelief for a moment, studying every square, trying to see a move he could make that would result in him winning, or at least getting out of this particular check.  </p><p>But no, Calum was right. It was checkmate, damn him. </p><p>“I don’t know how you got so fucking good at this game so fast,” Michael sighs, shaking his head as he sits back in his chair.  “I’m not complaining, not at all, but damn, Hood, you learn fast and with a vengeance.” Calum just grins across the small table at Michael, sitting back and placing his hands behind his head triumphantly. </p><p>“What can I say, I was born to win,” he says with a shrug and a chuckle.  “Do you wanna play another game or do something else?”  Calum tugs at the sleeves of his sweatshirt -- it’s warm inside of the lodge that they’re staying at, but the snow is coming down outside.  He knows they won’t do anything outside -- Michael isn’t one for going out in wintery weather (or really one for going out at all, really). So it’s a matter of if they’re going to play another game of chess, or try to occupy themselves in some other way. </p><p>“We can play another game,” Michael offers, “but can we go get some hot chocolate from the shop first? It was really good when we had it the other night, and I want some again.”  He looks over to him with pleading green eyes, and Calum can’t help but nod and agree with him.  He hoists himself up out of his chair with a gentle grunt, stretching his arms up over his head a little. </p><p>“Then let’s get bundled up and go get some hot chocolate,” he grins. He offers Michael his hand, and Michael takes it with a small grin, pulling himself out of his chair with Calum’s help.  “I hope the hot chocolate is worth getting all bundled up and then un-bundling immediately after.”  Michael claps Calum on the shoulder with a little bit of a grin before wrapping his arms around him with a small smile. </p><p>“Anything is worth it when I get to spend time with you,” he replies, cheeks pink before pulling back and going to get his coat.  Calum clears his throat a little bit, rubbing his hand over his buzzed head and blushing a little before heading over to grab his coat as well. </p><p>It takes a few minutes, but they’re soon all bundled in jackets and boots and mittens and hats, and Michael is offering him his mittened hand with a soft smile.  “Come on, let’s go get some hot chocolate, silly.”  Calum looks at his hand for a moment before taking it into his own, the mittens not well suited for hand holding.  </p><p>But Calum doesn’t mind that much, because he likes holding hands with Michael no matter what. Even if it’s a little awkward because of some wooly mittens. </p><p>They step out into the snow, both of them looking up at the sky which is spitting tiny flakes onto the ground.  Michael laughs a little bit, sticking his tongue out to catch some on it, and Calum just laughs a bit, mirroring the image. He thinks for a moment he would love for things to be this easy all the time between them -- getting hot chocolate in the middle of nowhere while they busy themselves with chess and reading and catching snowflakes on their tongues on their way to get hot chocolate.  The simplicity of it all entrances Calum, but really he thinks Michael is the one he’s entranced by.  If Michael wasn’t here, it would just be boring.  Michael brings the light into his world, and for that he is forever grateful. </p><p>Michael tugs on his hand, breaking him from his thoughts as he admires him, and his cheeks flush pinker than they were already becoming from the cold.  He lets Michael pull him along through the snow, their boots crunching against the white powder as they make their way down to the little local cafe that makes the hot chocolate that Michael is pining for.  He squeezes his hand as best he can through his thick, wooly mitten, and thinks he feels Michael squeeze back (but he really can’t be sure with all this wool between them). </p><p>They finally arrive at the cafe, and Michael is nearly bouncing -- either with excitement, or to keep himself warm, Calum will never know. He pulls him up to the counter excitedly, grinning at the girl standing on the other side of the counter who looks as though she would rather be doing anything other than serving them.  </p><p>“Can we get two hot chocolates please?” he asks, green eyes shining with elation as he looks at the girl.  She looks at him unamusedly, ringing them up before turning back to them. </p><p>“It’ll be 8 dollars,” she says flatly.  Calum beats Michael to sliding money over the counter, to which he huffs a little bit, looking thoroughly unimpressed.  Calum just grins as the girl takes the money, turning to make their hot chocolates. </p><p>“I wanted to pay,” he huffs a little, crossing his arms over his chest.  Calum nudges him playfully, taking his hand back into his own mittened one with a gentle grin. </p><p>“The least I could do after kicking your ass at chess four times in a row,” he says merrily, to which Michael just huffs again. “Come on, brighten up. You’re getting hot chocolate. And maybe I’ll let you win at chess when we get back.” To that comment, Michael now rolls his eyes, but they instantly light back up as soon as he sees the barista returning with their hot chocolates.  </p><p>“Thank you!” he says gleefully, taking his cup into his mittened hands carefully. “Can’t hold your hand now, I have to focus all of my energy into holding this cup of hot chocolate. Precious cargo, you know?” Calum lets out a soft laugh, thanking the barista himself as he takes his own cup into his hands, both of them gripping at it.  </p><p>“I see how it is,” Calum sighs. “I buy you hot chocolate and then you love the hot chocolate more than me. It’s a bad day to be me, huh?” He laughs a little bit, and Michael laughs too, as they start their way back to their room at the lodge.  </p><p>Calum feels a little stiff everywhere from the cold as they step in through the door, knocking some of the snow off of his boots on the doorstep as not to trail too much of it in. Michael does the same as he steps in, and Calum sets his hot chocolate on the counter so he can thoroughly enjoy it -- once he’s done unraveling himself from all of the winter gear he has on.  He shrugs off his coat and shoves his mittens and hat into the pockets, pulling off his boots with a little resistance.  Michael is still standing by the door, coat half off as he sips his hot chocolate with a content sigh. Calum just shakes his head at him.  </p><p>“Come on, dumbass, give me your hot chocolate so we can warm up by the fire before I demolish you at chess again,” he grins.  Michael pouts for a moment, but sitting by the fire sounds nice enough that he hands the cup to Calum with only a couple of grumbles.  </p><p>Within a few minutes, they’re both seated by the fire, flames warming their chilled bones from the outside, and the hot chocolate doing the job from the inside.  Michael rests his head on Calum’s shoulder, and Calum smiles down at him, his free arm sliding around his shoulders and squeezing them affectionately. </p><p>“Let’s stay here forever,” Michael jokes, looking up at Calum with mischief in those green eyes of his whilst he sips at his drink.  Calum just chuckles along, but he wishes it too -- that they could just stay here forever.</p><p>But for now, this little slice of heaven, carved out for them on the side of a mountain… that was enough.</p>
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